Spring-latched connection for torque transmitting shaft

ABSTRACT

A winch is provided for taking or winding ropes, cables, and the like. The winch has a drum, a lower crown, a rope groove and an upper crown having a socket which has a fluted cavity. The fluted cavity is configured to cooperate with a pin of a winch handle, which when turned rotates the drum. In an embodiment, the fluted cavity has a groove having a canted coil spring positioned therein. The pin on the winch handle has a groove placed to correspond with the depth of the groove when placed into the socket. The combination allows the winch handle to latch to the winch and to resist unintended separation between the two.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a regular utility application of Ser. No. 61/080,973, filed Jul.15, 2008, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

The great majority of sailboats use capstan winches to control the sailsand other various control lines on the boat. The gear driven capstanwinches are typically manually operated by a person turning a lever armcrank, known as a “winch handle”. For safety reasons and to provide theability to freely release a line from the capstan winch, it is necessaryto remove the winch handle when not in use. This means the winch handleis typically engaged to a top socket of the winch every time the winchis used and is removed after every use. It is also desirable tosometimes leave the winch handle in the top socket for a short period oftime in case a sail adjustment is anticipated.

As is well known to a skilled artisan, a winch handle that is notlatched into the top socket of the capstan winch head properly posessafety hazards including injuries to the handler when it comes loose ordislodges from the top socket during use. Additionally, winches areoften mounted on the side of a mast or bulkhead surface so the winchhandle could fall out and be lost overboard if not properly latched.

Companies that manufacture capstan winches and winch handles have spenta great amount of time developing latching mechanisms to hold the winchhandle in place. The most common type of winch handle latch involves arotating plate that locks the handle to the winch head. The operatormust move a lever arm to release the rotating latch. The release levermust be actuated to insert the handle into position and to remove thehandle. Although designed to provide latching, sailors are oftenfrustrated by the mechanism when trying to engage or disengage thelatching handle during time sensitive sailing maneuvers or when racingagainst other sailboats.

Also commercially available is a ball and detent latch mechanism that isclaimed to be easier and faster to operate. However, a latch and holdingdevice that is less demanding or does not require the operator tooperate to engage or disengage the winch handle would be moreadvantageous. Winches of this type are equally advantageous in otherapplications and industries that utilize rotary applications,particularly for such connections that allow for the transmission oftorque while concurrently employing easy connect and/or disconnectmeans.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention comprises a method for increasing aforce necessary to remove a winch handle from a winch. The methodcomprises fixing relative rotation between the winch and the winchhandle by providing mating fluted surfaces between the winch handle andthe winch and deflecting a plurality of coils of a canted coil springwhen moving the winch handle axially relative to the winch.

The present invention may also be practiced by providing a method forrotating a winch involving placing a portable drive mechanism intorotational communication with the winch and engaging a pin to a socketof the drive mechanism and the winch such that a canted coil springlocated in a groove of the socket increases a force necessary to removethe pin from the socket.

A still further aspect of the present invention includes a rotaryapplication assembly for torque transmission. In an embodiment, theassembly comprises a rotatable flange and a socket having an openingextending through the rotatable flange. The socket comprising aplurality of fluted surfaces and a groove intersecting each of thefluted surfaces and having a canted coil spring positioned therein. Thegroove comprises a bottom surface and two side surfaces and saidrotatable flange being rotatable by a shaft having corresponding flutedsurfaces.

A yet further aspect of the present invention is a winch comprising adrum having an upper crown and a socket. The socket comprising aplurality of fluted cavities and a groove intersecting each of thefluted cavities and having a canted coil spring positioned therein. Thegroove comprising a bottom surface and two side surfaces.

A still yet further aspect of the present invention is a method fortransmitting a torque from a first component to a second component. Themethod comprises inserting a shaft through a flange and into a socket.The socket comprises fluted surfaces and a groove intersecting each ofthe fluted surfaces. The shaft comprises fluted surfaces and a groove.The method further includes the step of rotating said shaft and saidflange, and wherein a canted coil spring is positioned between thegroove of the shaft and the groove of the socket.

Other aspects of the present invention are provided which will becomeapparent when read in full in combination with the attached accompaniedfigures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination winch and winch handleprovided in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a closed-up view of a top socket of the winch of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a closed-up view of the winch handle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the engagementbetween the winch handle and the winch of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a closed-up cross-sectional side view of the engagementbetween the winch handle and the winch of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a socket adaptor provided in accordance with analternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-7F are schematic cross-sectional views of various alternativegeometries.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of the presently preferredembodiments of capstan winches (herein “winch” or “winches”) provided inaccordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended torepresent the only forms in which the present invention may beconstructed or utilized. The description sets forth the features and thesteps for constructing and using the winches of the present invention inconnection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood,however, that the same or equivalent functions and structures may beaccomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to beencompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. As denotedelsewhere herein, like element numbers are intended to indicate like orsimilar elements or features.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a capstan winch 10 havinga winch handle 12 engaged to a top socket 14 of an upper crown 16 isshown, which has a rotatable structure or flange for rotating about anaxis. The winch 10 also has a rope socket 4, a drum 6, and a lower crown8. The top socket 14 of the winch 10 is fluted, has at least one butpreferably a plurality of fluted cavities 20 (FIG. 2), and is configuredto engage the fluted surface 22 of the pin 18 (FIG. 3) of the winchhandle 12, which has corresponding fluted ridges 24. The socket iseither a part of or is in mechanical communication with a drive shaftfor rotating a gear drive system, as is well known in the art. Thesocket may also be part of the flange or is part of a structure that isconnected so that the socket is in communication with an opening on theflange. The engagement between the fluted surfaces fixes relativeangular rotation between the handle and the winch by providing directmechanical interference so that when the handle is rotated to impart atorque, it rotates the winch. Axially, the engagement permits easyassembly/disassembly for quick or frequent connect/disconnect byallowing easy axial separation by the pin relative to the socket.

In one embodiment, a groove 26 is cut approximately mid way down thefemale fluted receiving socket 14 of the winch head, although a cut at agreater depth or a shallower depth may be practiced without deviatingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention. As is more clearlyshown in FIG. 5, the groove 26 has a bottom surface 28 and two sidesurfaces 30 and may be cut so that the bottom surface is angled relativeto the wall surface 32 of the socket. The bottom surface 28 mayalternative have a V-bottom configuration, similar to that shown in FIG.5 for the pin. Still alternatively, the bottom surface 28 may be flat orgenerally parallel to the wall surface 32. Selection of a particularangle of the bottom surface relative to the socket wall surface 32 willforce the canted coil spring 34 to rotate to a desired rest position inthe groove 26, which angle surface enables a designer to control theconnect and disconnect forces of the pin 18 when it engages ordisengages from the top socket 14. The groove 26 and the spring disposedtherein are preferably oriented along a perpendicular plane or planes tothe direction of insertion of the pin. Alternatively or in additionthereto, certain canted coil spring characteristics, such as spacingbetween coils, wire diameter size, wire shape, wire material, etc., maybe selected so that different forces are required to deflect the spring,which in turn allows a designer to control connect and disconnect forcesof the pin moving relative to the socket. Canted coil springs areavailable from Bal Seal Engineering of Foothill Ranch, Calif.

A notch or groove 36 (FIG. 3) is machined in the male fluted section 18of the winch handle 12 that corresponds to the engaged location of thecanted coil spring 34, i.e., the groove 26. In one embodiment, the notch36 is generally V-shape having symmetrical tapered surfaces of the apexof the notch. In other embodiments, the surfaces have different taperedangles relative to the remaining surface of the pin. In anotherembodiment, the angle of the lower tapered surface 38 of the notch (FIG.3) is selected to provide a desired release force when retracting thepin 18 from the socket 14. This may be practiced by increasing the angleto increase the release force and decreasing the angle to decrease therelease force.

When the winch handle 12 is inserted into the winch socket 14 (FIGS. 4and 5), the male fluted engagement pin deflects the canted coil spring34. When the winch handle is fully inserted into the capstan winch body,the canted coil spring engages with the machined groove in the winchhandle drive pin and holds the handle in place and prevents most if notall unintended disengagement. No manually operated release mechanism isrequired aside from simply retracting the pin. The canted coil springprovides adequate retention of the handle and resists separation due toevents such as vibration, accidental and unexpected contacts, or changein assembly orientation while still allowing frequentassembly/disassembly and quick adjustability. For example, theengagement provides a latch in the axial direction when the male shaftis inserted into a receiving socket to resist unintended separation ascompared to, for example, when no canted coil spring is used for arotary application involving torque transmission.

In other embodiments involving a shaft that transmits rotation andtorque to another part in a mechanical assembly in a connection thatrequires the shaft to be inserted into a corresponding cutout geometryeasily and disconnect easily, the same retention benefit may be realizedby incorporating a groove for retaining one or more canted coil springsand a matching groove on the mated part. Examples could include asplined drive axel driven by a drive train gear in automotiveapplications, wherein the drive gear consists of the correspondingspline geometry along the inner diameter. Another application is forraising and lowering overhead mounted blinds, screens, or shades byinserting a rod into a gear system and then turning the gears to loweror raise the blinds, screens, or shades.

Thus, an aspect of the present invention is a combination winch andwinch handle having simple latching between the two without manuallyoperated latching or releasing mechanism. Another aspect of the presentinvention is a combination winch and winch handle having ridges forfixing relative rotation between the two and grooves having a springlocated therebetween for increasing a force that is required to removethe pin from the socket relative to the same pin and socket without thespring. In yet another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a capstan winch having a drum, a rope groove, and a flutedsocket having a groove comprising a bottom surface and two sidesurfaces. In a preferred embodiment, a canted coil spring, which may bean axially canted coil spring or a radially canted coil spring, isdisposed in the groove. In still yet another aspect of the presentinvention, a winch handle is provided having a spindle, an arm, and apin having a fluted surface and at least one fluted ridge, and whereinthe fluted surface of the pin comprises a notch. In a preferredembodiment, the notch comprises a lower bottom surface and two sidewalls, which may have the same or dissimilar angles relative to an axisof the pin. In still yet another aspect of the present invention, thepin or shaft 18 includes a groove for retaining a canted coil spring.

A still further feature is a combination pin and groove in a rotarydrive system in which a torque is transmitted by the pin to the groove,or vice versa, and the pin is coupled to the groove by axially insertingthe pin into the groove. Said combination further comprisescorresponding grooves having a canted coil spring disposed therein andcorresponding cutout geometries for direct mechanical interference. Asused herein, axial direction is understood to mean in the direction ofinsertion or removal of the pin from the socket and radial direction orrotational direction is understood to mean around the axis of insertionor removal of the pin or spaced radially away from the axis of rotationof the pin, which may be coaxial or coincident with the axis of the pin.

In an alternative embodiment, a socket adaptor 40 is provided comprisinga fluted lower pin 42, similar to the fluted pin 18 on the winch handle,and an upper fluted pin 44. The fluted lower pin 42 has a notch 46 andis configured to latch with the grooved winch socket 14 of FIGS. 4 and5, similar to the winch handle of FIGS. 3-5. The upper fluted pin 44 ofthe socket adaptor 40 may have a similar fluted surface and a largercross-sectional diameter compared to the lower pin. Alternatively, theupper fluted pin may resemble a hex-head, similar to a screw bolt, orother shapes or configurations designed to engage a socket. In oneembodiment, the upper fluted pin 44 incorporates a groove 48 foraccommodating a canted coil spring, similar to the groove 26 of FIG. 5.Thus, the socket adaptor 40 is configured to convert the winch socket 14of a winch to one having a surface having a male projection for engagingwith a modified winch handle having a socket instead of a pin. Thesocket of the modified winch handle preferably incorporates a notch orgroove placed and dimensioned within the socket for engaging the cantedcoil spring located on the upper fluted pin 44. As is readily apparentto a person of ordinary skill in the art, this allows a designer toincorporate gearing or ratchet mechanism with the modified winch handlefor added maneuverability and functionality in manipulating the winch.

Thus, other aspects of the present invention is a provision for anadaptor for converting a winch for use with a winch handle having a pinto a winch for use with a winch handle having a female socket. In afurther aspect of the present invention, the adaptor has an upper pinsection and a lower pin section having different cross-sectionaldimensions and wherein each of the two pin sections incorporates agroove having a plane that intersects the longitudinal axis of theadaptor.

Over and above the basic latching feature without complex mechanisms,the canted coil spring can be tailored to provide the desired insertionand removal force that prevents the pin from inadverantly becomingdisengaged but retains operator convenience. The simple spring latch isintegral with the capstan winch and is less likely to be damaged orsustain mechanical failure. The spring latch holds the handle in placebut also automatically releases in an emergency in case a line wastrapped under the handle. The spring latch is lower cost than othermechanisms that hold the handle in place and the spring is not subjectto freezing up due to salt water corrosion and requires little or nomaintenance.

In addition to providing engagement and retention of a winch handle intoa winch, another embodiment of this invention involves use of theprinciples to temporarily hold a portable winch power drive system intothe winch for operation. Portable winch power drive units have anelectric motor and gear box drive system so that the operator does notneed to manually crank the winch handle. Winch power drive units engageinto the winch in the same manner as a winch handle. The canted coilspring provides suitable retention of the power drive unit duringoperation.

With reference now to FIGS. 7A-7F, various cross-sectional geometriesmay be used for the companion pin and socket of the present invention.FIG. 7A shows a star shape geometry 52. FIG. 7B shows a hexagon orpolygon shape 54 geometry. FIG. 7C shows a diamond shape geometry 56.FIG. 7D shows a triangle shape geometry 58. FIG. 7E shows a rhombusshape geometry 60, which may also be considered a quadrilateral. FIG. 7Fshows a square shape geometry 62. Each of the corners 64 of the variousshaped pin or socket may be called or is considered a fluted surface.However, the invention is not limited to the geometries shown as othershapes may be adapted by a person of ordinary skill in the art thatprovides direct mechanical interference.

Although limited embodiments of the capstan winch, its components, andother applications involving a pin and socket for angular torquetransmission have been specifically described and illustrated herein,many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled inthe art. For example, the retention mechanism comprising a canted coilspring may be incorporated in one, two or greater than two-speedwinches, may be made with multiple grooves for retaining more than onecanted coil spring, or may be used in combination with other retentionmechanisms. The same pin to socket arrangement for torque transmissionmay also be made from conductive materials to permit current flowbetween the components. In yet another embodiment, the groove and/ornotch geometries provide a locking connection such the pin cannot beremoved from the groove without destroying or permanently deforming thecanted coil spring. Still alternatively, the groove and/or notchgeometries provide a holding connection through friction forces betweenthe canted coil spring and the component, which may be the groove or thepin depending on the location of the spring. Also, although certainfeatures are described relative to a particular embodiment, it is stoodthat the same may be used for other embodiments not specificallydiscussed provided the interchangeability produces a contemplatedfunctional result. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the capstanwinch and their components constructed according to principles of thisinvention may be embodied other than as specifically described herein.The invention is also defined in the following claims.

1. A rotary application assembly for torque transmission comprising arotatable flange and a socket having an opening extending through therotatable flange: said socket comprising a plurality of fluted surfacesand a groove intersecting each of the fluted surfaces and having acanted coil spring positioned therein; wherein said groove comprises abottom surface and two side surfaces and said rotatable flange beingrotatable by a shaft having corresponding fluted surfaces.
 2. The rotaryapplication assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second grooveintersecting each of the fluted surfaces in said socket.
 3. The rotaryapplication assembly of claim 2, further comprising a second canted coilspring positioned in said second groove.
 4. The rotary application ofclaim 2, further comprising a shaft coupled to said socket and havingfluted surfaces.
 5. The rotary application of claim 1, wherein saidsocket has a wall surface and wherein said bottom surface is angled tothe wall surface of the socket.
 6. The rotary application of claim 1,wherein said rotatable flange is an upper crown of a capstan winch andsaid socket is formed with said rotatable flange.
 7. The rotaryapplication of claim 1, wherein the socket has a configuration of atleast one of a star shape geometry, a hexagon shape geometry, a polygonshape geometry, a diamond shape geometry, a triangle shape geometry, arhombus shape geometry, a quadrilateral shape geometry, and a squareshape geometry.
 8. A winch comprising a drum having an upper crown and asocket, said socket comprising a plurality of fluted cavities and agroove intersecting each of the fluted cavities and having a canted coilspring positioned therein, said groove comprising a bottom surface andtwo side surfaces.
 9. The winch of claim 8, further comprising a winchhandle.
 10. The winch of claim 8, wherein the drum comprises a groovefor retaining a rope.
 11. The winch of claim 8, further comprising asecond groove in said socket.
 12. The winch of claim 8, wherein thesocket has a configuration of at least one of a star shape geometry, ahexagon shape geometry, a polygon shape geometry, a diamond shapegeometry, a triangle shape geometry, a rhombus shape geometry, aquadrilateral shape geometry, and a square shape geometry.
 13. The winchof claim 8, wherein said socket has a wall surface and wherein saidbottom surface is angled to the wall surface of the socket.
 14. A methodfor transmitting a torque from a first component to a second componentcomprising: inserting a shaft through a flange and into a socket,wherein said socket comprising fluted surfaces and a groove intersectingeach of the fluted surfaces and said shaft comprising fluted surfacesand a groove; rotating said shaft and said flange; and wherein a cantedcoil spring is positioned between the groove of the shaft and the grooveof the socket.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the groove comprisesa bottom wall surface and two side wall surfaces.
 16. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising a second groove in said socket.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the flange is an upper crown of a capstanwinch.
 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the socket has aconfiguration of at least one of a star shape geometry, a hexagon shapegeometry, a polygon shape geometry, a diamond shape geometry, a triangleshape geometry, a rhombus shape geometry, a quadrilateral shapegeometry, and a square shape geometry.
 19. The method of claim 14,wherein the spring is located in the groove of the shaft.
 20. The methodof claim 14, wherein the spring is located in the groove of the socket.